Sir Gibbie

第11章

Howfriendlythewarmairfelt！howconsolingthecrimsonwallswiththesoftflickerofthegreatfireuponthem！howdelicioustheodourofthecockie-leekie！，Shecouldgiveupwhiskyagooddealmoreeasily，shethought，ifshehadthecomfortsofaministertofallbackupon！，Andthiswasthesameministerwhohadoncetoldherthathersoulwasasprecioustohimasthatofanyotherinhisparish——andthendrivenherfromrespectableJinkLanetothedisreputableDaurfoot！，Itallpassedthroughhermindinaflash，whileyetGibbiepulledandsheresisted。

“Gilbert，comehere，“calledMrs。Sclater。

Hewenttoherside，obedientandtrustingasachild。

“Really，Gilbert，youmustnot，“shesaid，ratherloudforawhisper。“Itwon’tdototurnthingsupsidedownthisway。Ifyouaretobeagentleman，andaninmateofmyhouse，youmustbehavelikeotherpeople。Icannothaveawomanlikethatsittingatmytable——Doyouknowwhatsortofapersonsheis？”

Gibbie’sfaceshoneup。Heraisedhishands。Hewasalreadyabletotalkalittle。

“Issheasinner？”heaskedonhisfingers。

Mrs。Sclaternodded。

Gibbiewheeledround，andsprangbacktothehall，whithertheministerhad，comingdownuponher，bowson，likeasea-shoulderingwhale，inamannerejectedMistressCroale，andwherehewasnowtalkingtoherwithanairofconfidentialcondescension，willingtowipeoutanyfeelingofinjuryshemightperhapsbeinclinedtocherishatnotbeingmademorewelcome：tohisconsternation，Gibbiethrewhisarmsroundherneck，andgaveheragreathug。

“SirGilbert！”heexclaimed，veryangry，andthemoreangrythatheknewhewasintheright，“leaveMistressCroalealone，andgobacktoyourdinnerimmediately——Jane，openthedoor。”

Janeopenedthedoor，Gibbielethergo，andMrs。Croalewent。Butonthethresholdsheturned。

“Weel，sir，“shesaid，withmoreseveritythanpique，andacertainsadinjurynotunmingledwithdignity，“yehaestappitowermydoor-sillmony’sthetime，an’thatwi’sairerwordsi’yermoo’norIevermintitatpeyin’yeback;an’Ineversaidtoyegang。Saefirstyeturntmeooto’myainhoose，an’nooyeturnmeooto’

yours;an’what’sleftyetoturnmeooto’butthehooseo’theLord？，An’，’deed，sir，yeneedneverwon’ergienthelikeso’medisnacareabootgangin’tohearapreachtgospel：wewadfainseeapracteesedane！，Gienyehadsaidtomenoothenicht，’Comeawa’

ben，MistressCroale，an’takapleto’cockie-leekiewi’’s;it’sacauldnicht;’it’smysel’wadhaebeensaeupliftitwi’yerkin’ness，’atIwadhaeganehamean’ta’en——Idinnaken——aiblinsareadatmyBible，an’beentobeseenatthekirkupo’SundayI

wad——o’thatyemaybesure;forit’saheapeasiertogangtothekirknortoreadthebuikyerlane，whauryecannahelpthinkin’

upo’whatitsaystoye。Butnoo，as’tis，I’mawa’hametothewhuskyboatle，an’thesino’’t，gientherebeonyinsicanichto’cauldan’fog，’illjistlieatyourdoor。”

“Youshallhaveaplateofsoup，andwelcome，MistressCroale！”saidtheminister，inaratherstageytoneofhospitality“——Jane，takeMistressCroaletothekitchenwithyou，and——“

“Thedeil’staili’yersoup！——’AtIsudsay’t！”criedMistressCroale，drawingherselfupsuddenly，withasnortofanger：“whanturntIbeggar？，Iwadfainbeinformt！，Was’tyersouporyergraceIsouchttill，sir？，TheLordbeatweenyouan’me！，There’sfirst’at’llbelast，an’last’at’llbefirst。Butthetane’snome，an’thetither’snoyou，sir。”

Withthatsheturnedandwalkeddownthesteps，holdingherheadhigh。

“Really，SirGilbert，“saidtheminister，goingbackintothedining-room——butnoGibbiewasthere！——nobodybuthiswife，sittinginsolitarydiscomposureattheheadofherdinner-table。Thesameinstant，heheardaclatteroffeetdownthesteps，andturnedquicklyintothehallagain，whereJanewasintheactofshuttingthedoor。

“SirGilbert’srunootefterthewuman，sir！”shesaid。

“Hoot！”gruntedtheminister，greatlydispleased，andwentbacktohiswife。

“TakeSirGilbert’splateaway，“saidMrs。Sclatertotheservant。

“That’shisNewTestamentagain！”shewenton，whenthegirlhadlefttheroom。

“Mydear！mydear！takecare，“saidherhusband。HehadnotmuchnotionofobediencetoGod，buthehadsomeideaofrespecttoreligion。HewasjustanidolaterofaChristianshade。

“Really，Mr。Sclater，“hiswifecontinued，“IhadnoideawhatIwasundertaking。Butyougavemenochoice。Thecreatureisincorrigible。Butofcoursehemustpreferthesocietyofwomenlikethat。Theyarethesorthewasaccustomedtowhenhereceivedhisfirstimpressions，andhowcoulditbeotherwise？，Youknewhowhehadbeenbroughtup，andwhatyouhadtoexpect！”

“Broughtup！”criedtheminister，andcausedhisspoonfulofcockie-leekietorushintohismouthwiththenoiseoftheGermanschl黵fen，thenburstintoaloudlaugh。“Youshouldhaveseenhimaboutthestreets！——withhistrowsers——“

“MisterSclater！，Thenyououghttohaveknownbetter！”saidhiswife，andlayingdownherspoon，satbackintotheembraceofherchair。

Butinrealityshewasnottheleastsorryhehadundertakenthecharge。Shecouldnothelplovingtheboy，andherwordsweremerelythefoamofvexation，mingledwithnotalittlejealousy，thathehadlefther，andhisnicehotdinner，togowiththewoman。

Hadshebeenafineladylikeherself，Idoubtifshewouldhavelikeditmuchbetter;butshespeciallyrecoiledfromcomingintorivalrywithoneinwhosehouseahorriblemurderhadbeencommitted，andwhohadbeenbeforethemagistratesinconsequence。

Nothingfurtherwassaiduntilthesecondcoursewasonthetable。

Thentheladyspokeagain：

“Youreallymust，Mr。Sclater，teachhimtheabsurdityofattemptingtofiteverypointofhisbehaviourto——to——wordswhichwereofcoursequitesuitabletothetimewhentheywerespoken，butwhichitisimpossibletotakeliterallynow-a-days——asimpossibleastogoaboutthestreetswithagreathornonyourheadandaveilhangingacrossit——Why！”——Hereshelaughed——alaughthelesslady-likethat，althoughitwasbothlowandmusical，itwasscornful，andalittleshakenbydoubt——“Yousawhimthrowhisarmsroundthehorridcreature’sneck！——Well，hehadjustaskedmeifshewasasinner。Imadenodoubtshewas。Offwiththewordgoesmygentlemantoembraceher！”

Heretheylaughedtogether。

Dinnerover，theywenttoamissionarymeeting，wheretheonestoodandmadeaspeechandtheothersatandlistened，whileGibbiewashavingteawithMistressCroale。

>FromthatdayGibbie’smindwasmuchexercisedastowhathecoulddoforMistressCroale，andnowfirsthebegantowishhehadhismoney。Asfastashelearnedthefinger-alphabethehadtaughtittoDonal，and，asalreadytheyhadagoodmanysymbolsinusebetweenthem，somanyindeedthatDonalwouldofteninsteadofspeakingmakeuseofsigns，theyhadnowthemeansofintercoursealmostasfreeasiftheyhadhadbetweenthemtwotonguesinsteadofone。ItwaseasythereforeforGibbietoimparttoDonalhisanxietyconcerningher，andhisstrongdesiretohelpher，anddoingso，helamentedinagentlewayhispresentinability。ThiscommunicationDonaljudgeditwisetoimpartinhisturntoMistressCroale。

“Yesee，mem，“hesaidinconclusion，“he’ssomew’yoranithergotten’tintil’sheid’atye’rejistawheenowerfreewi’theboatle。Ikenna。Ye’llbethebestjeedgeo’thatyersel’！”

MistressCroalewassilentforawholeminutebytheclock。FromthemomentwhenGibbieforsookhisdinnerandhisgrandnewfriendstogowithher，thewoman’shearthadbeguntogrowtotheboy，andheroldmemoriesfedthenewcropofaffection。

“Weel，“sherepliedatlength，withnolittlehonesty，“——Imaynabesaeill’shethinksme，forhehadayehispuirfatherafore’se’en;butthebairn’srichti’themain，an’wemaunluiktill’t，an’seewhatcanbedune;foreh！，Iwadbelaithtodisappintthebonnielaad！——MaisterGrant，gienevertherewisaChristi-ansowlupo’thefaceo’thiswickitwarl’，thatChristi-ansowl’sweeSirGibbie！——an’whacudhaethouchtit！，Butit’stheLord’sdoin’，an’

mervellousinooreyes！——Ow！yeneednaluiklikethat;IkenmyBiblenothatill！”sheadded，catchingaglimmerofsurpriseonDonal’scountenance。“ButforthatMaisterScletter——dod！，Iwadnabesairupon’im——butgienhebefittocawanailherean’anailthere，anfixaskletortwa，creepin’upo’theriggin’o’thekirk，I’mweelsurehe’snaewisemaister-builderfittolayonyfundation——Ay！，ItelltyeIkentmybeuknothatill！”sheaddedwithsometriumph;thenresumed：“WhatthewaurwadheorsheorSirGibbiehaebeenthoughtheyhedinveetitme，asIwasthere，tositmedoon，an’tak’apleto’theircockie-leekiewi’them？，Therewasane’atthouchtthem’atwasfarwaurnorme，guideneuchcompanyforhim;an’maybeImaysitdoonwi’himeftera’，wi’thehelpo’

mybonnieweeSirGibbie——Icannahelpca’in’himweeSirGibbie——a’thetoonca’d’imthat，thoughhaith！he’llbeabigmanorhebehaud。An’for’steetle，Iwasayeanetogiehonourwhaurhonourwasdue，an’neverance，weelasIkennedhim，didIca’hishonestfather，forgienevertherewasanhonestmanyonwashim！——neverdidIca’himonythingbutSirGeorge，naithermairnorless，an’thatthoughhevrouchtatthehardestatthecobblin’a’

theook，an’upo’Setterdayswaspleasedtohaeaguidwashi’myainbedroom，an’pitonacleansarko’mydeidman’s，risthissowl！——no’atI’mapapist，MaisterGrant，an’ayekentbetternorthinkitwasonyeeseprayin’forthem’at’sgane;forwhaistheretopeyonyheedtosichaithenishprayersasthatwadbe？，Na！wemaunprayforthelivin’’atitmaydeesomeguidtill，an’noforthem’atitsa’owerwi’——theLordhaemercyupo’them！”

Myreadersmaysuspect，oneforonereasonanotherforanother，thatshehadalready，beforeDonalcamethateveningbeenholdingcommunionwiththeidolinthethree-cornerdtempleofhercupboard;

andIconfessthatitwasso。Butitisequallytruethatbeforethenextyearwasgone，shewasashadebetter——andthatnotwithoutconsiderablestruggle，andmorefailuresthansuccesses。

Upononeoccasion——letthosewhoanalyzetheworkingsofthehumanmindastheywouldtheentrailsofaneight-dayclock，explainthephenomenonIamabouttorelate，ordeclinetobelieveit，astheychoose——shebecamesuddenlyawarethatshewasgettingperilouslynearthebrinkofactualdrunkenness。

“I’lltakbutthisaemou’fu’mair，“shesaidtoherself;“it’sbutamou’fu’，an’it’sthelasti’theboatle，an’itwadbeapeetynaebodytogettheguido’’t。”

Shepoureditout。Itwasnearlyhalfaglass。Shetookitinonelargemouthful。Butwhileshehelditinhermouthtomakethemostofit，evenwhileitwasbetweenherteeth，somethingsmoteherwiththesuddensensethatthisverymomentwasthecrisisofherfate，thatnowtheaxewaslaidtotherootofhertree。Shedroppedonherknees——nottopraylikepoorSirGeorge——buttospoutthemouthfulofwhiskyintothefire。Inroaringflameitrushedupthechimney。Shestartedback。

“Eh！”shecried;“guidGod！sicadeevil’sImaunbe，tocairrythelikeo’thati’myinside！——Lord！，I’maperfec’bykeo’deevils！

MynameitmaunbeLegion。Whatistobecomeo’mypuirsowl！”

Itwasaweekbeforeshedrankanotherdrop——andthenshetookherdevilswithcircumspection，andthefirmresolvetoletnomoreofthementerintoherthanshecouldmanagetokeepinorder。

Mr。andMrs。Sclatergotovertheirannoyanceaswellastheycould，andagreedthatinthiscasenonoticeshouldbetakenofGibbie’sconduct。

CHAPTERXLV。

SHOALSAHEAD。

IthadcometobethecustomthatGibbieshouldgotoDonaleveryFridayafternoonaboutfouro’clock，andremainwithhimtillthesametimeonSaturday，whichwasaholidaywithboth。OneFriday，justafterhewasgone，thetemptationseizedMrs。Sclatertofollowhim，and，payingtheladsanunexpectedvisit，seewhattheywereabout。

Itwasabrightcoldafternoon;andinfurtippetandmuff，amidstthesnowthatlayeverywhereonroofsandwindow-sillsandpavements，andthewindthatblewcoldasitblowsinfewplacesbesides，shelooked，withherbrightcolourandshiningeyes，likelifeitselflaughingatdeath。Butnotmanyofthoseshemetcarriedthelikevictoryintheircountenances，forthecoldwasbitter。AssheapproachedtheWiddiehill，shereflectedthatshehadfollowedGibbiesoquickly，andwalkedsofast，thattheboyscouldhardlyhavehadtimetosettletoanything，andresolvedthereforetomakealittleroundandspendafewmoreminutesupontheway。Butas，throughaneighbouringstreet，shewasagainapproachingtheWiddiehill，shecaughtsightofsomethingwhich，asshewaspassingacertainshop，thatofabakerknowntoherasoneofherhusband’sparishioners，madeherstopandlookinthroughtheglasswhichformedtheupperhalfofthedoor。ThereshesawGibbie，seatedonthecounter，danglinghislegs，eatingapennyloaf，andlookingascomfortableaspossible——“Sosoonafterluncheon，too！”saidMrs。Sclatertoherselfwithindignation，readingthroughthespectaclesofherangerareflectiononherhousekeeping。Butasecondlookrevealed，asshehaddreaded，farweightiercausefordispleasure：averyprettygirlstoodbehindthecounter，withwhosecompanyGibbiewasevidentlymuchpleased。Shewasfairofhue，witheyesofgrayandgreen，andredlipswhosesmileshowedteethwhiterthanthewhitestofflour。Atthemomentshewaslaughingmerrily，andtalkinggailytoGibbie。Clearlytheywereonthebestofterms，andtheboy’sbrightcountenance，laughter，andeagermotions，weremakingfullresponsetothegirl’swords。

Gibbiehadbeenintheshoptwoorthreetimesbefore，butthiswasthefirsttimehehadseenhisoldfriend，Mysie，oftheamethystear-ring。Andnowoneofthemhadremindedtheotherofthatepisodeinwhichtheirhistorieshadruntogether;fromthatMysiehadgoneontootherreminiscencesofherchildhoodinwhichweeGibbieboreapart，andhehad，aswellashecould，repliedwithothers，ofhis，inwhichshewasconcerned。Mysiewasasimple，well-behavedgirl，andtheentranceofneitherfathernormotherwouldhavemadetheleastdifferenceinherbehaviourtoSirGilbert，thoughdoubtlessshewasmorepleasedtohaveachatwithhimthanwithherfather’sapprentice，whocouldspeakindeed，butlookeddullasthedoughheworkedin，whereasGibbie，althoughdumb，wasradiant。Butthefacesofpeopletalkingoftenlookmoremeaningfultooneoutsidethetalk-circlethantheyreallyare，andMrs。Sclater，gazingthroughtheglass，found，sheimagined，largejustificationofdispleasure。Sheopenedthedoorsharply，andsteppedin。Gibbiejumpedfromhisseatonthecounter，and，withasmileofplayfulroguery，offeredittoher;avividblushoverspreadMysie’sfaircountenance。

“IthoughtyouhadgonetoseeDonal，“saidMrs。Sclater，inthetoneofonedeceived，andtooknonoticeofthegirl。

GibbiegavehertounderstandthatDonalwouldarrivepresently，andtheywerethengoingtothepointofthepier，thatDonalmightlearnwhattheseawaslikeinanor’-easter。

“Butwhydidyoumakeyourappointmenthere？”askedthelady。

“BecauseMysieandIareoldfriends，“answeredtheboyonhisfingers。

ThenfirstMrs。Sclaterturnedtothegirl：havinggotoverherfirstindignation，shespokegentlyandwithafranknessnaturaltoher。

“SirGilberttellsmeyouareoldfriends，“shesaid。

ThereuponMysietoldherthestoryoftheear-ring，whichhadintroducedtheirpresentconversation，andaddedseveralotherlittlerecollections，inoneofwhichshewasdrawnintoadescription，halfpathetic，halfhumorous，oftheforlornappearanceofweeGibbie，asheranaboutinhistruncatedtrousers。Mrs。

Slaterwasmoreannoyed，however，thaninterested，for，inviewoftheyoungbaronet’sfuture，shewouldhavehadallsuchthingsforgotten;butGibbiewasfullofdelightinthevividrecollectionsthusbroughthimofsomeofthelesspainfulportionsofhispast，andappreciatedeverygraphicwordthatfellfromthegirl’sprettylips。

Mrs。SclatertookgoodcarenottoleaveuntilDonalcame。Thentheboys，havingaskedherifshewouldnotgowiththem，whichinvitationshedeclinedwithsmilingthanks，tooktheirdepartureandwenttopaytheirvisittotheGermanOcean，leavingherwithMysie——whichtheycertainlywouldnothavedone，couldtheyhaveforeseenhowthewell-meaninglady——nine-tenthsofthemischiefsintheworldarewell-meant——wouldhurtthefeelingsofthegentle-conditionedgirl。Foralongtimeafter，asoftenasGibbieenteredtheshop，Mysieleftitandhermothercame——aresultaltogetherasMrs。Sclaterwouldhavehadit。ButhardlyanybodywaseverinlessdangeroffallinginlovethanGibbie;andthethingwouldnothavebeenworthrecording，butforthenewdirectionitcausedinMrs。Sclater’sthoughts：measures，shejudged，mustbetaken。

GladlyasshewouldhavecentredGibbie’sboyishaffectionsinherself，shewastooconscientiousandexperiencednottoregardthedangerofanyspecialeffortinthatdirection，andbeganthereforetocastaboutinhermindwhatcouldbedonetoprotecthimfromoneatleastofthenaturalconsequencesofhisearlyfamiliaritywiththingsunseemly——exposure，namely，totheriskofforminglowalliances——themoreimminentthatitwasmuchtoolatetoattemptanyrestrictionofhisliberty，soastokeephimfromroamingthecityathispleasure。RecallingwhatherhusbandhadtoldheroftheoddmeetingbetweentheboyandayoungladyatMissKimble’sschool——somerelation，shethoughthehadsaid——alsothedesiretoseeheragainwhichGibbie，onmorethanoneoccasion，hadshown，shethoughtwhethershecouldturntheacquaintancetoaccount。ShedidnotmuchlikeMissKimble，chieflybecauseofheraffectations——which，bytheway，werecaricaturesofherown;butsheknewherverywell，andtherewasnoreasonwhysheshouldnotaskhertocomeandspendtheevening，andbringtwoorthreeoftheeldergirlswithher：alittlefamiliaritywiththelooks，manners，anddressofrefinedgirlsofhisownage，wouldbethebestantidotetohistasteforlowsociety，fromthatofbakers’

daughtersdownwards。

ItwasMrs。Sclater’sowndoingthatGibbiehadnotagainspokentoGinevra。Nowiseabashedatthethoughtofthegrenadierorherarrayofdoves，hewouldhavegone，theverynextdayaftermeetingtheminthestreet，tocalluponher：itwassomegood，hethought，ofbeingarichinsteadofapoorboy，that，havinglosttherebythosewhomhelovedbest，hehadcomewherehecouldatleastseeMissGalbraith;butMrs。Sclaterhadpretendednottounderstandwherehewantedtogo，andusedotherartificesbesides——well-meant，ofcourse——tokeephimtoherselfuntilsheshouldbetterunderstandhim。AfterthathehadseenGinevramorethanonceatchurch，buthadhadnochanceofspeakingtoher。For，inthesuddendispersionofitsagglomerateparticles，aScotchcongregationis——orwasinGibbie’stime——verylikethewell-knownvitreousdropcalledaPrinceRupert’stear，inwhichthemutuallyrepellentparticlesareheldtogetherbyastronglycontractedhomogeneouslayer——toseparatewithexplosiontheinstantthetoughskinisbrokenandvibrationintroduced;andasMrs。Sclatergenerallysatinherdignitytothelast，andGibbiesatwithher，onlyoncewasheoutintimetocatchaglimpseoftheultimaterankoftheretreatinggirls。Hewasjuststartingtopursuethem，whenMrs。Sclater，perceivinghisintention，detainedhimbyrequestingthesupportofhisarm——awayshehad，pretendingtobeweary，ortohavegivenherankleatwist，whenshewantedtokeephimbyherside。AnothertimehehadfollowedthemcloseenoughtoseewhichturntheytookoutofDaur-street;butthatwasallhehadlearned，andwhentheseverityofthewinterarrived，andthesnowlaydeep，sometimesforweekstogether，thechancesofmeetingthemwerefew。Thefirsttimetheboyswentouttogether，thatwhentheyfailedtofindMistressCroale’sgarret，theymadeanexcursioninsearchofthegirls’school，buthadbeenequallyunsuccessfulinthat;andalthoughtheyneverafterwentforawalkwithoutcontrivingtopassthroughsomepartoftheregioninwhichtheythoughtitmustlie，theyhadneveryetevendiscoveredahouseuponwhichtheycouldagreeaspresentingprobabilities。

Mr。GalbraithdidnottakeMissKimbleintohisconfidencewithrespecttohisreasonsforsohurriedlyplacinghisdaughterunderhercare：hewasfartooreticent，tooproud，andtoomuchhurtforthat。Hence，whenMrs。Sclater’sinvitationarrived，theschoolmistresswasawareofnoreasonwhyMissGalbraithshouldnotbeoneofthegirlstogowithher，especiallyastherewashercousin，SirGilbert，whomsheherselfwouldliketomeetagain，inthehopeofremovingthebadimpressionwhich，inthedischargeofherduty，shefearedshemusthavemadeuponhim。

Oneday，then，atluncheon，Mrs。SclatertoldGibbiethatsomeladieswerecomingtotea，andtheyweregoingtohavesupperinsteadofdinner。Hemustputonhisbestclothes，shesaid。Hedidasshedesired，wasdulyinspected，approvedonthewhole，andfinishedoffbyafewdeftfingersathisnecktie，andagentlepushortwofromtheloveliestofhandsagainsthishair-thatch，andwasseatedinthedrawing-roomwithMrs。Sclaterwhentheladiesarrived。Ginevraandheshookhands，shewiththesweetestofrose-flushes，hewiththeradianceofdelightedsurprise。But，amomentafter，whenMrs。Sclaterandherguestshadseatedthemselves，Gibbie，theironlygentleman，forMr。Sclaterhadnotyetmadehisappearance，hadvanishedfromtheroom。Teawasnotbroughtuntilsometimeafter，whenMr。Sclatercamehome，andthenMrs。SclatersentJanetofindSirGilbert;butshereturnedtosayhewasnotinthehouse。Thelady’sheartsank，hercountenancefell，andallwasgloom：herprojecthadmiscarried！hewasgone！

whocouldtellwhither？——perhapstothebaker’sdaughter，ortothehorridwomanCroale！

Thecasewashoweververymuchotherwise。ThemomentGibbieendedhisgreetings，hehaddartedofftotellDonal：itwasnothiscustomtoenjoyaloneanythingsharable。

ThenewsthatGinevrawasatthatmomentseatedinMrs。Sclater’shouse，atthatmoment，ashiseagernesshadmisunderstoodGibbie’s，expectinghisarrival，raisedsuchacommotioninDonal’satmosphere，thatforatimeitwasbutahuddleofsmallwhirlwinds。

Hisheartwasbeatinglikethetrampleofatrottinghorse。HeneverthoughtofinquiringwhetherGibbiehadbeencommissionedbyMrs。Sclatertoinvitehim，orreflectedthathisstudieswerenothalfoverforthenight。Aninstantbeforethearrivaloftheblessedfact，hehadbeenabsorbedinaratherabstrusemetaphysico-mathematicalquestion;nownotthemetaphysicsoftheuniversewouldhaveappearedtohimworthamoment’smeditation。Hewentpacingupanddowntheroom，andseemedlosttoeverything。

Gibbieshookhimatlength，andtoldhim，bytwosigns，thathemustputonhisSundayclothes。Thenfirstshyness，liketheshroudofnorthernmyththatliesinwaitinaman’spath，leapedup，andwrappeditselfaroundhim。Itwasverywelltoreceiveladiesinameadow，quiteanotherthingtowalkintotheircompanyinagrandroom，suchas，beforeenteringMrs。Sclater’s，hehadneverbeheldeveninFairylandortheArabianNights。Heknewthewaysoftheone，andnotthewaysoftheother。Chairsornateweredoubtlesspoorthingstodaisiedbanks，yettheotherdayhehadhardlybroughthimselftositononeofMrs。Sclater’s！，Itwasamomentofawfulseeming。Butwhatwouldhenotfacetoseeoncemorethelovelylady-girl！，Hebethoughthimselfthathewasnolongeracowherdbutastudent，andthatsuchfeelingswereunworthyofonewhowouldwalklevelwithhisfellows。Herushedtothelaboursofhistoilette，performedsevereablutions，enduedhisbestshirt——coarse，butsweetfromthefreshbreezesofGlashgar，apairoftrousersofbuff-colouredfustianstampedoverwithablackpattern，anolive-greenwaistcoat，abluetailcoatwithlappetsbehind，andapairofwell-polishedshoes，thesolesofwhichinhonourofSundaywerestuddedwithsmallinsteadoflargeknobsofiron，setatallbeaverhat，whichnobrushingwouldmakesmooth，onthebackofhishead，stuffedasilkhankerchief，crimsonandyellow，inhispocket，anddeclaredhimselfready。

NowGibbie，althoughhewouldnothavelookedsowellinhiswoollycoatinMrs。Sclater’sdrawing-roomasontherocksofGlashgar，wouldhavelookedbetterinalmostanyotherthantheeveningdress，now，alas！nearlyEuropean。Mr。Sclater，ontheotherhand，wouldhavelookedworseinanyotherbecausebeinglesscommonplace，itwouldhavebeenlesslikehimself;andsolongasthecommonplaceconventionalsogreatlyoutnumberthesimplyindividual，itisperhapswellthepresentfashionshouldhold。ButDonalcouldhardlyhaveputonanyclothesthatwouldhavemadehimlookworse，eitherinrespectofhimselforofthesurroundingsofsociallife，thanthosehenowwore。Neitheroftheboys，however，hadbeguntothinkaboutdressinrelationeithertocustomortofitness，anditwaswithcompletesatisfactionthatGibbiecarriedoffDonaltopresenttotheguestofhisguardians。

Donal’spreparationshadtakenalongtime，andbeforetheyreachedthehouse，teawasoverandgone。Theyhadhadsomemusic;andMrs。

Sclaterwasnowtalkingkindlytotwooftheschool-girls，who，seatederectonthesofa，werelookinguponherelegancewithaweandenvy。Ginevra，waslookingatthepicturesofanannual。Mr。

SclaterwasmakingMissKimbleagreeabletoherself。Hehadacertaingiftoftalk——dependinginagreatmeasureontheassuranceofbeinglistenedto，anassurancewhichis，alas！nowisethelesshurtfultomanyaclergymanoutofthepulpit，thathemaybeequallyawarenooneheedshiminit。

CHAPTERXLVI。

THEGIRLS。

Thedoorwasopened。Donalspentfullyaminuterubbinghisshoesonthemat，asdiligentlyasifhehadjustcomeoutofthecattle-yard，andthenGibbieledhimintriumphupthestairtothedrawing-room。Donalenteredinthatloose-jointedwaywhichcomesofthebrainsbeingasyetallinthehead，andstood，resistingGibbie’spullonhisarm，hiskeenhazeleyeslookinggentlyrounduponthecompany，untilhecaughtsightofthefacehesought，when，withthestrideofasowerofcorn，hewalkedacrosstheroomtoGinevra。Mrs。Sclaterrose;Mr。Sclaterthrewhimselfbackandstared;thelatterastoundedatthepresumptionoftheyouths，theformeruneasyatthepossibleresultsoftheirignorance。Totheastonishmentofthecompany，Ginevrarose，respectandmodestyineveryfeature，astheyouth，clownishratherthanawkward，approachedher，andalmosttimidlyheldoutherhandtohim。Hetookitinhishornypalm，shookithitherandthithersideways，likealeafinadoubtfulair，thenhelditlikeapreciousthinghewasatonceafraidofcrushingbytootightagrasp，andofdroppingfromtoolooseahold，untilGinevratookchargeofitherselfagain。Gibbiedancedaboutbehindhim，allbutstandingononeleg，but，forMrs。Sclater’ssake，restraininghimself。Ginevrasatdown，andDonal，feelingverylargeandclumsy，andwantingto“benaughtawhile，“lookedabouthimforachair，andthenfirstespyingMrs。Sclater，wentuptoherwiththesamerolling，clampingstride，butwithoutembarrassment，andsaid，holdingouthishand，“Hooareyethenicht，mem？”IsawnayerbonniefacewhanIcamin。

Agran’hoose，likethiso’yours——an’I’msure，mem，itcudnabeowergran’tofityersel’，butit’sjistsomeperplexin’toplainfowklikeme，’at’sbeenusedtomairroom，an’lessintill’t。”

DonalwasthinkingofthemeadowontheLorriebank。

“Iwassureofit！”remarkedMrs。Sclatertoherself。“Oneofnature’sgentleman！，Hewouldsoonbetaught。”

Shewasright;buthewasmorethanagentleman，andcouldhavetaughtherwhatshecouldhavetaughtnobodyinturn。

“Youwillsoongetaccustomedtoourtownways，Mr。Grant。Butmanyofthethingswegatheraboutusarefarmoretroublethanuse，“shereplied，inhersweetesttones，andwithagentlepressureofthehand，whichwentalongwaytosethimathisease。“Iamgladtoseeyouhavefriendshere，“sheadded。

“Onlyane，mem。Gibbiean’me——“

“Excuseme，Mr。Grant，butwouldyouobligeme——ofcoursewithmeitisofnoconsequence，butjustforhabit’ssake，wouldyouobligemebycallingGilbertbyhisownname——SirGilbert，please。Iwishhimtogetusedtoit。”

“Yerwullbe’t，mem——Weel，asIwassayin’，SirGibbie——SirGilbert，thatis，mem——anmysel’，wehaekennedMissGalbraiththislangtime，bein’o’thelaird’sainfowk，asImaysay。”

“Willyoutakeaseatbesideher，then，“saidMrs。Sclater，andrising，herselfplacedachairforhimnearGinevra，wonderinghowanyScotchlaird，thefatherofsuchalittleladyasshe，couldhaveallowedhersuchanacquaintance。

Tomostofthecompanyhemusthavelookedveryqueer。Gibbie，indeed，wastheonlyonewhosawtherealDonal。MissKimbleandherpupilsstaredatthedistortedreflexionofhiminthespoon-bowloftheirownelongatednarrowness;Mrs。Sclatersawthepossiblegentlemanthroughtheloop-holeofacomplimenthehadpaidher;andMr。Sclaterbeheldonlytheminimumwhichthereversedtelescopeofhisownenlargedimportance，hehavinghimselfcomeofsufficientlyhumbleorigin，madeofhim;whileGinevralookeduptohimmoreasonewhomarvelledatthegrandlyunintelligible，thanonewhounderstoodtherelationsandproportionsofwhatshebeheld。

Norwasitpossibleshecouldhelpfeelingthathewasamoreharmoniousobjecttotheeyebothofbodyandmindwhendressedinhiscorduroysandbluebonnet，walkingthegreenfields，withcattleabouthim，hisclubunderhisarm，andabookinhishand。Soseen，hisnaturaldignitywasevident;nowhelookedundeniablyodd。A

poetneedsafinehouseratherthanafinedresstosethimoff，andMrs。Sclater’sdrawing-roomwasneitherlargenorbeautifulenoughtoframethisone，especiallywithhisSundayclothestogetthebetterof。Totheschoolladies，mistressandpupils，hewassimplyaclodhopper，andfromtheirreportbecameatreasureofpoverty-strickenamusementtotheschool。OftendidGinevra’scheekburnwithindignationatthesmallinsolencesofherfellow-pupils。

AtfirstsheattemptedtomakethemunderstandsomethingofwhatDonalreallywas，butfindingthemunworthyoftheconfidence，wasdriventobetakeherselftosuchasilenceasputastoptotheiroffensiveremarksinherpresence。

“Ithankye，mem，“saidDonal，ashetookthechair;“ye’reverracondescendin’。”，ThenturningtoGinevra，andtryingtocrossonekneeovertheother，butfailingfromthetightnessofcertaingarments，which，likeDavidwithSaul’snotsimilarlyfaultyarmour，hehadnothithertoproved，“Weel，mem，“hesaid，“yehaenaforgottenHornie，Ihoup。”

Theothergirlsmustbepardonedfortittering，offensiveasisthehabitsocommontotheirclass，fortheonlybeingtheyknewbythatnamewasonetowhomthemerestreferencesetspitandgalleryinaroar。MissKimblewasshocked——disgusssted，shesaidafterwards;

anduntilshelearnedthattheclownwasthereuninvited，cherishedagrudgeagainstMrs。Sclater。

Ginevrasmiledhimasatisfactorynegative。

“Ineverreadtheballantabootthewormlingeltroun’thetree，“

saidDonal，makingratheralonglinkinthechainofassociation，“ohnthouchtupo’thatday，mem，whanfirstyecamdoonthebraewi’

mysisterNicie，an’Icamowertheburntillye，an’yegarredmelauchabootweetin’o’myfeet！，Eh，mem！wi’youaforemethere，I

seetheblewliftagain，an’thegersejistlowin’(flaming)green，an’thenowtattheirbusiest，thewin’asleep，an’theburnsayin’，’Yeneednaneo’yespeyk：I’mhere，an’it’smybusiness。’，Eh，mem！whanIthinkupo’’ta’，itseemstome’atthehumanhertclosedi’themidso’sicacoffero’cunnin’workmanship，maunbeaterribleprecious-likething。”

Gibbie，behindDonal’schair，seemedpulsinglightateverypore，buttherestofthecompany，understandinghiswordsperfectly，yetnotcomprehendingasinglesentenceheuttered，begantowonderwhetherhewasoutofhismind，andwereperplexedtoseeGinevralisteningtohimwithsuchrespect。Theysawahumanoffencewheresheknewapoet。Awordisaword，butitsinterpretationsaremany，andtheunderstandingofaman’swordsdependsbothonwhattheheareris，andonwhatishisideaofthespeaker。Astothepureallthingsarepure，becauseonlypuritycanenter，sotothevulgarallthingsarevulgar，becauseonlythevulgarcanenter。

Whereinthenisthecommonplacemantobeblamed，forasheis，somusthethink？，Inthis，thatheconsentstobecommonplace，willingtoliveafterhisownideaofhimself，andnotafterGod’sideaofhim——therealidea，which，everynowandthenstirringinhim，makeshimuneasywithsilentrebuke。

Ginevrasaidlittleinreply。Shehadnotmuchtosay。Inherworldthestreamswerestill，notvocal。ButDonalmeanttoholdalittlecommunicationwithherwhichnoneofthem，exceptindeedGibbie——hedidnotmindGibbie——shouldunderstand。

“Ihedsicaqueerdreamtheithernicht，mem，“hesaid，“an’I’lljisttellye’t——IthouchtIwasdooninanawfu’kin’o’aweetbog，wi’drygraivelly-likehillsa’abootit，an’naethingupo’

thembutawheenshorthunger-likegerse。An’ooto’themidso’

thebogtheregrewjistaetree——asaugh，Ithinkitwas，butuncoauld——’maistpastkennin’wi’age;——an’roun’therouchgnerlettrunko’’twastwistitthreefauldso’theoogliest，ill-fauredestcraturo’aserpent’ateverwasseen。Itwasjistlaithlytoluikupo’。Icuddescribeittillye，mem，butitwadonlygaryerunkleyerbonnybroo，an’luikasIwadnahaeyeluik，mem，’causeyewadnaluikfreelysaebonnyasyedivnoowhanyeluikjistyersel’。

Butaequeerthingwas，’atatweenhitan’thetreeitgrippitabuik，an’Ikentitforthebuiko’ballants。An’Igaednearer，luikin’an’luikin’，an’somefrichtit。ButIwadnastan’forthat，forthatwadbetobecaitiffvile，an’notrueman：Igaedneareran’nearer，tillIhadgottenwithinayairdo’thetree，whana’atance，wi’aswingan’aswirl，Iwasthree-fauldabootthetree，an’

thelaithlywormwasmemesel’;an’Iwasthelaithlyworm。Theverrahertgaedfraemeforhoaribledreid，an’scunneratmysel’！

SaethereIwas！，ButIwasnalangtherei’mymeesery，aforeI

saw，ooto’myainserpente’en，maistblin’twi’greitin’，owerthetapo’thebraeaforeme，’atweenmean’thelift，asgienitreachtuptotheverrastars，foritwasnadaybutnichtbythistimeabootme，asweelitmichtbe，——Isawthebonnysichtcomeupo’aknichtinairmour，helmetan’shieldan’ironsheenan’a’;butsomehooI

kentbythegangan’thestan’an’theswayo’thebonnyboadyo’

theknicht，’atitwasnaeman，butawuman——Yesee，mem，sinIcamfraeDaurside，Ihaebeenabletogetagripo’buiks’atIcudnagetupthere;an’Ihedbeenreadin’Spenser’sFairyQueenthenichtafore，a’yonabootthelady’atpatontheairmouro’aman，an’

fouchtlikeaguidanefortherichtan’thetrowth——an’thathedputten’ti’myheidmaybe;onlywhanIsawher，Ikenther，an’hernamewasnaBritomart。Shehadatwistitbraincho’blewberriesabootherhelmet，an’theyca’dherJuniper：wasnathatqueer，noo？

An’shecamdoonthehillwi’bonnybigstrides，noowerbigforastatelywuman，buteh，saedifferentfraethenippertymincin’

stippety-stapo’theleddiesyeseeupo’thestreetshere！，An’saeshecamdoonthebrae。An’Isouchtsairtocryoot——firsto’a’totellhergienshedidnaluiktillherfeet，shewadhelairti’thebog，an’synetobego’herformercy’ssaketodrawherswoord，an’

cawtheooglyheidaffo’me，an’latmedee。NooImaunconfess’attheballanto’KempOwenwasrinnin’i’theworm-heido’me，an’

Icudnahelpthinkin’what，notwithstan’in’thecheengeo’han’si’

thestory，laystilltothepairto’theknicht;buthoowasonyman，notosayamereugsomeserpent，tomintatsicathingtillaleddy，whethershewasinsteelbeetsan’spursorinlangtrainan’

silverslippers？，An’haith！，Isunefan’’atIcudnahaespokentheword，gienIhaddauredeversaestoot。ForwhanIopenedmymoo’

tocrytillher，Icuddeenaethingbutshotootaforkittongue，an’crysss。Mem，itwasdreidfu’！，SaeIhadjisttotakinmytongueagain，an’saynaething，forfearo’fleggin’awa’mybonnyleddyi’thesteelclaes。An’shecaman’cam，doonan’doon，an’

ontothebog;an’fora’theweichto’herairmourshesanknaafitintill’t。An’shecam，an’shestude，an’sheluikitatme;an’I

hedseenherafore，an’kennedherweel。An’sheluikitatme，an’

ayeluikit;an’Iwinnasaywhatwasi’thepuirworm’shert。Butatthelastshegaeagretsich，an’asab，like，an’studejistasgienshewastryin’sair，butcouldnotmakupherbonnymin’toyon’atwasi’theballant。An’eh！hooIgrippitthebuikatweenmean’thetree——forthereitwas——a’asIsaw’tafore！，An’saeatlastshegaeakin’o’acry，an’turntan’gaedawa’，wi’herheidhingin’doon，an’herswoordtrailin’，an’neverturnttoluikahinther，butupthebrae，an’owerthetapo’thehill，an’doonan’

awa’;an’thebrainchwi’theblewberrieswasthelastIsawo’hergaein’doonlikethemeenahintthehill。An’jistwi’thefellgreitin’Icamtomysel’，an’myhertwasgaein’likeapump’atwadfainpitootafire——Noowasnathataqueer-likedream？——I’llnosay，mem，butIhaecurrietan’kaimbtitupawee，togar’ttellbetter。”

Ginevrahadfromthefirstbeenabsorbedinlistening，andherbrowneyesseemedtokeepgrowinglargerandlargerashewenton。Eventhegirlslistenedandweresilent，lookingasiftheysawapeacock’sfeatherinaturkey’stail。Whenheended，thetearsrushedfromGinevra’seyes——forbaresympathy——shehadnoperceptionofpersonalintentintheparable;itwaslongbeforeshesawintothenameofthelady-knight，forshehadneverbeentoldtheEnglishofGinevra;shewasthesimplest，sweetestofgirls，andtooyoungtosuspectanythingintheheartofaman。

“ODonal！”shesaid，“Iamverysorryforthepoorworm;butitwasnaughtyofyoutodreamsuchadream。”

“Hoo’sthat，mem？”returnedDonal，alittlefrightened。

“Itwasnotfairofyou，“shereplied，“todreamaknightofalady，andthendreamherdoingsuchanunknightlything。Iamsureifladieswentoutinthatway，theywoulddoquiteaswell，onthewhole，asgentlemen。”

“Imaknaedoobto’’t，mem：h’avenforbid！”criedDonal;“butyeseedreamsissicsenselessthings’attheywinnabehelpit;——an’

thatwashooIdreemtit。”

“Well，well，Donal！”brokeintheharshpompousvoiceofMr。

Sclater，who，unknowntothepoet，hadbeenstandingbehindhimalmostthewholetime，“youhavegiventheladiesquiteenoughofyourromancing。Thatsortofthing，youknow，myman，maydoverywellroundthefireinthefarmkitchen，butit’snotthesortofthingforadrawing-room。Besides，theladiesdon’tunderstandyourwordofmouth;theydon’tunderstandsuchbroadScotch——Comewithme，andI’llshowyousomethingyouwouldliketosee。”

HethoughtDonalwasboringhisguests，andatthesametimepreventingGibbiefromhavingthepleasureintheirsocietyforthesakeofwhichtheyhadbeeninvited。

Donalrose，replying，“Thinkyesae，sir？，IthouchtIwasinauldScotlan’still——hereasweel’supo’Glashgar。Butmaybemyjographybuik’ssomeauld-fashioned——Didnayeun’erstan’me，mem？”headded，turningtoGinevra。

“Everyword，Donal，“sheanswered。

Donalfollowedhishostcontented。

Gibbietookhisplace，andbegantoteachGinevrathefingeralphabet。TheothergirlsfoundhimfarmoreamusingthanDonal——firstofallbecausehecouldnotspeak，whichwasmuchlessobjectionablethanspeakinglikeDonal——andfunnytoo，thoughnotsofunnyasDonal’sclothes。Andthenhehadsucharomantichistory！

andwasabaronet！

InafewminutesGinevraknewtheletters，andpresentlysheandGibbiewerehavingalittlecontinuoustalktogether，athingtheyhadneverhadbefore。Itwassoslow，however，astoberathertiring。ItwasmainlyaboutDonal。ButMrs。Sclateropenedthepiano，andmadeadiversion。Sheplayedsomethingbrilliant，andthensanganItaliansonginstrillaceousstyle，revealingtoDonal’sclownishignoranceathoroughmasteryofcaterwauling。ThensheaskedMissKimbletoplaysomething，whodeclined，withoutmentioningthatshehadneithervoicenorearnorloveofmusic，butsaidMissGalbraithshouldsing——“foronceinaway，asatreat——ThatlittleScotchsongyousingnowandthen，mydear，“sheadded。

Ginevrarosetimidly，butwithouthesitation，andgoingtothepiano，sang，toasimpleoldScotchair，towhichtheyhadbeenwritten，thefollowingverses。Beforesheended，theminister，thelateherd-boy，andthedumbbaronetweregroupedcrescent-wisebehindthemusic-stool。

Idinnakenwhat’scomeowerme！

There’sahowwhaurancewasahert;(hollow)

Ineverluikootaforeme，An’acrywinnagarmestert;

There’snaethingnaemairtocomeowerme，Blawthewin’fraeonyairt。(quarter)

Fori’yonkirkyairdthere’sahillock，Ahertwhaurancewasahow;

An’o’joythere’snoleftamealock——(crumb)

Deidaisswhaurancewasalow;(ashes)(flame)

Fori’youkirkyaird，i’thehillock，Liesaseed’atwinnagrow。

It’smyhert’athaudsuptheweehillie——

That’shoothere’sahowi’mybreist;

It’sawa’doontherewi’myWillie，Gaedwi’himwhanhewasreleast;

It’sdooni’thegreen-grownhillie，ButIs’beefteritneist。

Comeawa’，nichtsandmornin’s，Comeooks，years，a’time’sclan;

Ye’rewalcomeayonta’scornin’：

Takmetillhimasfestasyecan。

Comeawa’，nichtsan’mornin’s，Yearewingso’amichtyspan！

ForIkenhe’sluikin’an’waitin’，Luikin’ayedoonasIclim’：

WadIhaehimseemesitgreitin’，I’steado’gaein’tohim？

I’llstepootlikeanesureo’ameetin’，I’lltraivelan’rintohim。

ThreeofthemknewthattheverseswereDonal’s。Ifthepoetwenthomefeelingmorelikeafellowinbluecoatandfustiantrowsers，orawingedgeniusofthetomb，Ileavemyreadertojudge。Anyhow，hefelthehadhadenoughforoneevening，andwasabletoencounterhisworkagain。Perhapsalso，whensupperwasannounced，hereflectedthathisreceptionhadhardlybeensuchastojustifyhiminpartakingoftheirfood，andthathismother’shospitalitytoMr。

Sclaterhadnotbeeninexpectationofreturn。Astheywentdownthestair，hecamelastandalone，behindthetwowhisperingschool-girls;andwhentheypassedonintothedining-room，hespiltoutofthehouse，andranhometothefurniture-shopandhisbooks。

Whentheladiestooktheirleave，Gibbiewalkedwiththem。AndnowatlasthelearnedwheretofindGinevra。

CHAPTERXLVII。

ALESSONOFWISDOM。

Inobediencetothesuggestionofhiswife，Mr。SclaterdidwhathecouldtoshowSirGilberthowmistakenhewasinimagininghecouldfithisactionstothewordsofourLord。Shockedasevenhewouldprobablyhavebeenatsuchacharacterizationofhisattempt，itamountedpracticallytothis：DonotwasteyourpowersintheendeavourtokeepthecommandmentsofourLord，foritcannotbedone，andheknewitcouldnotbedone，andnevermeantitshouldbedone。Hepointedouttohim，notaltogetherunfairly，thedifficulties，andthecausesofmistake，withregardtohiswords;

butsaidnothingtorevealthespiritandthelifeofthem。Showingmoreofthemtobefiguresthanatfirstappeared，hemadeoutthemeaningsofthemtobeless，notmorethanthefigures，hispicturestobegreaterthantheirsubjects，hisparableslargerandmorelovelythanthetruthstheyrepresented。Inthewholeofhislecture，throughwhichranfrombeginningtoendatoneofreproof，therewasnotoneflashofenthusiasmforourLord，notasignthat，tohisso-calledminister，hewasarefuge，oradelight——thathewhoisthejoyofhisFather’sheart，theessentialblissoftheuniverse，wasanythingtothesoulofhiscreature，whobesideshadtakenuponhimtopreachhisgoodnews，morethananametocallhimselfby——thatthestoryoftheSonofGodwastohimanythingbetterthanthesoapandwaterwherewithtoblowtheologicalbubbleswiththetobacco-pipeofhisspeculativeunderstanding。Thetendencyofitwassimplytothequellingofalltrueeffortaftertheknowingofhimthroughobedience，thequenchingofalldevotiontothecentralgood。DoubtlessGibbie，aswellasmanyawiserman，mightnowandthenmakeamistakeintheembodimentofhisobedience，butevenwheretheactionmissesthecommand，itmayyetbeobediencetohimwhogavethecommand，andbyobeyingonelearnshowtoobey。Ihardlyknow，however，whereGibbieblundered，exceptitwasinfailingtorecognizetheanimalsbeforewhomheoughtnottocasthispearls——intakingitforgrantedthat，becausehisguardianwasaminister，andhiswifeaminister’swife，theymustthereforebethedisciplesoftheJewishcarpenter，theeternalSonoftheFatherofusall。Hadhehadmoreofthewisdomoftheserpent，hewouldnothavecarriedthemtheNewTestamentasanendingofstrife，thewordsoftheLordasanenlighteninglaw;hewouldperhapshaveknownthattotrytoohardtomakepeoplegood，isonewaytomakethemworse;thattheonlywaytomakethemgoodistobegood——rememberingwellthebeamandthemote;thatthetimeforspeakingcomesrarely，thetimeforbeingneverdeparts。

ButintalkingthustoGibbie，theministerbutrippledtheair：

Gibbiewasallthetimeponderingwithhimselfwherehehadmetthesamekindofthing，thesamesortofpersonbefore。Nothinghesaidhadtheslightesteffectuponhim。Hewastoofamiliarwithtruthtotaketheyeastybungholeofaworkingbarrelforafountainofitswaters。TheunseenLordandhisreportedwordsweretoGibbierealities，comparedwithwhichtheveryvisibleMr。Sclaterandhisassuredutterancewereasthemerestseemingsofaphantommood。HehadneverresolvedtokeepthewordsoftheLord：hejustkeptthem;

butheknewamongsttheresttheLord’swordsaboutthekeepingofhiswords，andaboutbeingashamedofhimbeforemen，anditwaswithapitifulindignationheheardtheminister’swisdomdrivelpasthisears。Whathewouldhavesaid，andwithheldhimselffromsaying，hadhebeenabletospeak，Icannottell;Ionlyknowthatinsuchcircumstancesthelesssaidthebetter，forwhatcanbemoreunprofitablethanadiscussionwherebutoneofthedisputantsunderstandsthequestion，andtheotherhasalltheknowledge？，Itwouldhavebeentheeloquenceofthewiseandtheprudentagainsttheperfectedpraiseofthesuckling。

TheeffectofitalluponGibbiewastosendhimtohisroomtohisprayers，moreeagerthanevertokeepthecommandmentsofhimwhohadsaid，Ifyeloveme。Comfortedthenandstrengthened，hecamedowntogotoDonal——nottotellhim，fortononebutJanetcouldhehavemadesuchacommunication。ButinthemiddleofhisdescentherememberedsuddenlyofwhatandwhomMr。Sclaterhadallalongbeenremindinghim，andturnedasidetoMrs。SclatertoaskhertolendhimthePilgrim’sProgress。This，asamatteralmostofcourse，wasoneofthefewbooksinthecottageonGlashgar——abookbelovedofJanet’ssoul——andhehadreaditagainandagain。Mrs。Sclatertoldhimwhereinherroomtofindacopy，andpresentlyhehadsatisfiedhimselfthatitwasindeedMr。WorldlyWisemanwhomhisimaginationhad，incloudyfashion，beenplacingsidebysidewiththetalkingminister。

Findinghisreturndelayed，Mrs。Sclaterwentafterhim，fearinghemightbeindulginghiscuriosityamongstherpersonalpossessions。

Peepingin，shesawhimseatedonthefloorbesideherlittlebookcase，lostinreading：shestolebehind，andfoundthatwhatsoabsorbedhimwastheconversationbetweenChristianandWorldly——I

beghispardon，heisnothingwithouthisMr——betweenChristianandMr。WorldlyWiseman。

Intheevening，whenherhusbandwastellingherwhathehadsaidto“theyoungPharisee“inthemorning，thepictureofGibbieonthefloor，withthePilgrim’sProgressandMr。WorldlyWiseman，flashedbackonhermind，andshetoldhimthething。Itstunghim，notthatGibbieshouldperhapshavesoparalleledhim，butthathiswifeshouldsointerpretGibbie。Toher，however，hesaidnothing。Hadhebeenabetterman，hewouldhavebeenconvincedbythelesson;asitwas，hewasonlyconvicted，andinsteadofrepentingwasoffendedgrievously。Forseveraldayshekeptexpectingthereligiousgadflytocomebuzzingabouthimwithhissting，thatis，hisforefinger，stuckinthePilgrim’sProgress，andhadaswashingblowreadyforhim;butGibbiewasbeginningtolearnalessonortwo，andifhewasnotyetsowiseassomeserpents，hehadalwaysbeenmoreharmlessthansomedoves。

ThathehadgainednothingfortheworldwasprettyevidenttotheministerthefollowingSunday——fromtheloftywatchtowerofthepulpitwherehesatthroned，whilethefirstpsalmwasbeingsung。

Hisownpewwasnearoneofthesidedoors，andatthatdoorsomewhowerelatekeptcomingin。Amongstthemwereastrangerortwo，whowereatonceshowntoseats。Beforethepsalmended，anoldmancameinandstoodbythedoor——apoormaninmeangarments，withtheairofabeggarwhohadcontrivedtogivehimselfaSundaylook。

Perhapshehadcomehopingtofinditwarmerinchurchthanathome。Therehestood，motionlessastheleech-gatherer，leaningonhisstick，disregardedofmen——itmayhavebeenonlybyinnocentaccident，Idonotknow。Butjusteretheministermustriseforthefirstprayer，hesawGibbie，whohadheardafeeblecough，castaglanceround，riseasswiftlyasnoiselessly，openthedoorofthepew，getoutintothepassage，taketheoldmanbythehand，andleadhimtohisplacebesidethesatin-robedandsable-muffedministerialconsort。ObedienttoGibbie’swill，theoldmantooktheseat，withanairbothofhumilityandrespect，whilehappilyforMrs。Sclater’sremnantofruffledcomposure，therewasplentyofroominthepew，sothatshecouldmovehigherup。Theoldman，itistrue，followed，tomakeaplaceforGibbie，buttherewasstillanintervalbetweenthemsufficienttoaffordspacetothehopethatnoneoftheevilsshedreadedwouldfalluponhertodevourher。

Flushed，angry，uncomfortable，notwithstanding，herfaceglowedlikeabale-firetotheeyesofherhusband，and，Ifear，spoiledtheprayer——butthatdidnotmattermuch。

Whilethetwothusinvoluntarilysignalledeachother，theboywhohadbroughtdiscomposureintobothpulpitandpew，satpeacefulasasummermorning，withtheoldmanbesidehimquietinthereverenceofbeinghimselfrevered。Andtheminister，whilehepreachedfromthewords，Lethimthatthinkethhestandethtakeheedlesthefall，forthefirsttimeinhislifebegantofeeldoubtfulwhetherhemightnothimselfbeahumbug。Therewasnotmuchfearofhisfalling，however，forhehadnotyetstoodonhisfeet。

NotawordwassaidtoGibbieconcerningthelibertyhehadtaken：

theministerandhiswifewereintoomuchdread——notofSt。Jamesandthe“poormaninvileraiment，“fortheywereharmlessenoughinthemselves，butofGibbie’spointingfingertobackthem。Threedistinctprecautions，however，theytook;thepew-openeronthatsidewasspokento;Mrs。SclatermadeGibbiehenceforthgointothepewbeforeher;andsheremovedtheNewTestamentfromthedrawing-room。

CHAPTERXLVIII。

NEEDFULLODDSANDENDS。

ItwillbeplainfromwhatIhavetold，thatDonal’simaginationwasfullofGinevra，andhiswasnotaneconomywhoseimaginationcouldenjoyitselfwithoutcallingthehearttoshare。Atthesametime，hisbeinginlove，ifalreadyImayuseconcerninghimthatmostgeneralandmostindefiniteofphrases，sofarfromobstructinghisstudy，wasinrealityanaidtohisthinkingandaspurtoexcellence——notexcellenceoverothers，butoverhimself。Thereweremoments，doubtless，longmomentstoo，inwhichheforgotHomerandCiceroanddifferentialcalculusandchemistry，for“thebonnielady-lassie，“——thatwaswhathecalledhertohimself;butitwasonly，onemergingfromthereverie，toattackhisworkwithfreshvigour。Shewassoyoung，soplainlygirlish，thatasyettherewasnoroomfordreadorjealousy;thefeelinginhisheartwasakindofgentleangel-worship;andhewouldhaveturnedfromtheideaofmarryingher，ifindeedithadeverpresenteditself，asanirreverentthought，whichhedarednotforamomentbeguiltyofentertaining。Itwasbesides，anideatooabsurdtobeindulgedinbyonewho，inhiswildestimaginations，always，througheveryProteanembodiment，soughtandlovedandclungtothereal。Hischiefthoughtwassimplytofindfavourintheeyesofthegirl。

Hisideashoveredaboutherimage，butitwascontinuallytoburnthemselvesinincensetohersweetladyhood。Asoftenasasongcameflutteringitswingsathiscasement，thenextthoughtwasGinevra——andtherewouldbesomethingtogiveher！，Iwonderhowmanylovesofthepoetshavereceivedtheirofferingsincorrespondentfervour。IdoubtifGinevra，thoughshereadthemwithmarvel，wascapableofappreciatingtheworthofDonal’s。Shewashardlyyetwomanenoughtodothemjustice;fortheheartofagirl，initsverysweetnessandvagueness，isreadytoadmirealikethegoodandtheindifferent，iftheirouterqualitiesbesimilar。

Itwouldcauseacollapseinmanyaswellingofpoet’sheartif，whileheheardlovelylipscommendinghisverses，avoiceweretowhisperinhisearwhatcertainotherversestheladycommendedalso。

OnSaturdayevenings，afterGibbielefthim，Donalkepthisownprivateholiday，whichconsistedinmakingverses，orratherinsettinghimselfinthepositionfordoingso，whensometimesverseswouldbetheresult，sometimesnot。Whenthemoonwasshininginatthewindowsofthelargeroomadjoining，hewouldputouthislamp，openhisdoor，andlookfromthelittlechamber，glowingwithfire-light，intothestrange，eerie，silentwaste，crowdedwiththechaosofdis-createdhomes。Therescoresonscoresofthings，manyofthemunco，thatisuncouth，thefirstmeaningofwhichisunknown，tohiseyes，stoodhuddledtogetherinthedimlight。Thelightlookedwearyandfaint，asifwithhavingforceditswaythroughthedustofyearsonthewindows;andDonalfeltasifgazingfromaclearconsciouspresentoutintoafadeddream。

Sometimeshewouldleavehisnest，andwalkupanddownamongspider-leggedtables，tallcabinets，secret-lookingbureaus，workedchairs——yieldinghimselftohisfancies。Hewasonewhoneedednoopium，orsuch-likedemon-help，tosethimdreaming;hecoulddreamathiswill——onlyhisdreamswerebriefandofrapidchange——probablynotmoreso，aftertheclock，thanthoseotherartificialones，inwhich，tospeculateonthetestimony，thefeelingoftheirlengthappearstobeproducedbyaninfiniteandcontinuoussubdivisionofthesubjectivetime。Nowhewasaghostcomebacktoflit，hoveringandglidingaboutsadoldscenes，thathadgatheredanewandaworsesadnessfromthedryingupofthesorrowwhichwastheheartofthem——hisdoom，tolivethusoveragainthelifehehadmadesolittleofinthebody;hispunishment，tohaunttheworldandpaceitsstreets，unabletoinfluencebytheturnofahairthegoingsonofitslife，——sotolearnwhatauselessbeinghehadbeen，andrepentofhisself-embracedinsignificance。Nowhewasaprisoner，piningandlongingforlifeandairandhumancompanionship;thatwasthesunoutside，whoseraysshonethusfeeblyintohisdungeonbyrepeatedreflections。

Nowhewasaprinceindisguise，meditatinghowtoappearagainanddefeatthemachinationsofhisfoes，especiallyoftheenchanterwhomadehimseemtotheeyesofhissubjectsthatwhichhewasnot。

ButeverhisthoughtswouldturnagaintoGinevra，andeverthepoemshedevisedweredevisedasinherpresenceandforherhearing。Sometimesadreadwouldseizehim——asifthestrangethingswerealllookingathim，andsomethingwasabouttohappen;

thenhewouldstridehastilybacktohisownroom，closethedoorhurriedly，andsitdownbythefire。Onceortwicehewasstartledbythesoftentranceofhislandlady’sgrand-daughter，cometosearchforsomethinginoneofthecabinetstheyhadmadearepositoryforsmalloddsandendsofthings。OncehetoldGibbiethatsomethinghadlookedathim，buthecouldnottellwhatorwhenceorhow，andlaughedathimself，butpersistedinhisstatement。

HehadnotyetbeguntoreadhisNewTestamentinthewayGibbiedid，buthethoughtinthedirectionoflightandfreedom，andlookedtowardssomegoaldimlyseeninvaguegrandeurofbetterness。

Hisconditionwasratherthatofeyelesshungeraftergrowth，thanofanyconsciousaspirationtowardslessundefinedgood。Hehadalargeandincreasingdelightinallformsofthegenerous，andshrunkinstinctivelyfromthebase，buthadnotyetconcentratedhiseffortstowardsbecomingthatwhichheacknowledgedthebest，sothathewashardlyyetonthestraightpathtothegoalofsuchonenesswithgoodasaloneisaman’speace。ImentionthesethingsnotwiththeintentofheredevelopingthecharacterofDonal，butwiththedesirethatmyreadersshouldknowhimsuchashethenwas。

GibbieandheseldomtalkedaboutGinevra。Shewasgenerallyunderstoodbetweenthem——onlyreferredtouponneedfuloccasion：

theyhadnorighttotalkabouther，anymorethantointrudeonherpresenceunseasonably。

DonalwenttoMr。Sclater’schurchbecauseMr。Sclaterrequiredit，invirtueofthepositionheassumedashisbenefactor。Mr。SclaterinthepulpitwasatrialtoDonal，butitconsoledhimtobenearGibbie，alsothathehadfoundaseatintheoppositegallery，whencehecouldseeGinevrawhenherplacehappenedtobenotfarfromthedoorofoneoftheschool-pews。HedidnotgetmuchbenefitfromMr。Sclater’ssermons：Iconfesshedidnotattendverycloselytohispreaching——oftendirectedagainstdoctrinalerrorsofwhich，exceptfromhimself，notoneofhiscongregationhadeverheard，orwaslikelyevertohear。ButIcannotsayhewouldhavebeenbetteremployedinlistening，fortherewasgenerallysomethinggoingoninhismindthathadtogoon，andmakewayformore。I

havesaidgenerally，forImustexceptthetimeswhenhisthoughtsturneduponthepreacherhimself，andtookformssuchasthefollowing。ButitmightbealessontosomepreacherstoknowthatadecentladlikeDonalmaybemakingsomesuchversesaboutoneofthemwhileheispreaching。IhaveknownnotafewhumblemeninthepulpitofwhomratherthanwritesuchathingDonalwouldhavelostthewritinghand。

’Twasasairsairday’twasmyhaptillComeunderyersoon’，Mr。Sclater;

Butthingsmaunheputtenataptill，An’saemaunye，seenerorlater！

Fortohearyerowtin’an’scornin’，Isnotoharktotheriver;

An’tositheretillbraktrowth’smornin’，Wadbetobelostforever。

IconfessIhavetakenaliberty，andchangedonewordforanotherinthelastline。HedidnotshowtheseversestoGibbie;orindeedeverfindmuchfaultwiththepreacherinhishearing;forheknewthatwhilehewashimselfmoreopen-mindedtothenonsenseoftheprofessionalgentleman，Gibbiewasmoreopen-heartedtowardsthemeritsoftheman，withwhomhewasfartoocloselyassociatedonweek-daysnottofeelaffectionforhim;while，ontheotherhand，Gibbiemadeneitherheadnortailofhissermons，nothavingbeeninstructedinthetheologicalmessthatgoeswithsomanyforatheriacoftheveryessentialsofreligion;andtherefore，foranythingheknew，theymightbeverywiseandgood。AtfirsthetookrefugefromthesermoninhisNewTestament;butwhen，forthethirdtime，thebeautifulhandoftheministerialspouseappearedbetweenhimandthebook，andgentlywithdrewit，hesawthathisreadingwasanoffenceinhereyes，andcontentedhimselfthereafterwiththinking：listeningtotheabsolutelyunintelligiblehefoundimpossible。WhatadelightitwouldhavebeentotheboytohearChristpreachedsuchasheshowedhimself，suchasinnosmallmeasurehehadlearnedhim——insteadofsuchasMr。Sclatersawhimreflectedfromthetenthortwentiethdistortingmirror！，TheywhospeakagainsttheSonofManopposemeredistortionsandmistakesofhim，havingneverbeheld，neitherbeingnowcapableofbeholding，him;butthosewhohavetransmittedtothemthesefalseimpressions，those，namely，whopreachhimwithoutbeingthemselvesdevotedtohim，andthosewhopreachhimhavingderivedtheirnotionsofhimfromotherscourcesthanhimself，havetobeartheblamethattheyhavesuchexcusesfornotseekingtoknowhim。Hesubmitstobemis-preached，ashesubmittedtobeliedagainstwhilevisiblywalkingtheworld，buthistruthwillappearatlengthtoall：untilthenuntilheisknownasheis，oursalvationtarrieth。

Mrs。Sclatershowedherselfsincere，afterherkind，toDonalaswellastoGibbie。Shehadbynomeansceasedtogrow，andalreadywasslowlybetteringundertheinfluencesoftheNewTestamentinGibbie，notwithstandingshehadremovedtheletterofitfromherpublictable。ShetoldGibbiethathemusttalktoDonalabouthisdressandhisspeech。Thathewasaladofnocommongiftswasplain，shesaid，butwereheeverso“talented“hecoulddolittleintheworld，certainlywouldneverraisehimself，solongashedressedandspokeridiculously。Thewisestandbestofmenwouldbeutterlydisregarded，shesaid，ifhedidnotlookandspeaklikeotherpeople。Gibbiethoughtwithhimselfthiscouldhardlyhold，fortherewasJohntheBaptist;heansweredher，however，thatDonalcouldspeakverygoodEnglishifhechose，butthattheaffectedtoneandwould-be-finepronunciationofFergusDuffhadgivenhimthenotionthattospeakanythingbuthismother-tonguewouldbeunmanlyandfalse。Astohisdress，Donalwaspoor，Gibbiesaid，andcouldnotgiveupwearinganyclothessolongastherewasanywearinthem。“Ifyouhadseenmeonce！”headded，withamerrylaughtofinishforhisfingers。

Mrs。Sclaterspoketoherhusband，whosaidtoGibbiethat，ifhechosetoprovideDonalwithsuitablegarments，hewouldadvancehimthemoney：——thatwasthewayhetookcreditforeverylittlesumhehandedhisward，butinhisaccountswascorrecttoafarthing。

GibbiewouldthereuponhavedraggedDonalatoncetothetailor;butDonalwasobstinate。

“Na，na，“hesaid;“theclaesisguideneuchforhim’atweirsthem。

Yedeeeneuchforme，SirGilbert，a’ready;an’thoughIwadbeobleegedtoyouasIwadtomymitherhersel’，tocleedmegienI

warnadacent，Iwinnatakyoursillernornaebodyither’stogangfine。Na，na;I’llweirtheclaesoot，an’wes’deebetterwi’theneist。An’forthatbonniewuman，MistressScletter，yecantellher，’atbythetimeIhaeonythingtosaytothewarl’，itwinnabemyclaes’at’llhaudfowkohnhearkent;an’giensheconsidersthem’atIhaenoo，owersairadisgracetillhergran’rooms，shemaunjistnoinveetme，an’I’llnocome;forIcannapresentlyhelpthem。Buttheneistsession，whanIhaebetter，forI’msuretogetwarkeneuchinatween，I’llcomean’shawmysel’，an’syneshecandeeasshelikes。”

Thishightoneofliberty，sofreefromoffenceeithergivenortaken，wasthoroughlyappreciatedbybothMr。andMrs。Sclater，andtheydidnotceasetoinvitehim。Alittletalkwiththelattersoonconvincedhimthattherewasneitherassumptionnorlackofpatriotisminspeakingthelanguageofthepeopleamongwhomhefoundhimself;andashemadeherhismodelinthepursuitoftheaccomplishment，heverysoonspokeagooddealbetterEnglishthanMr。Sclater。ButwithGibbie，andevenwiththedaintyGinevra，hecouldnotyetbringhimselftotalkanythingbuthismother-tongue。

“Icannotmakmymoo’，“hewouldsay，“tospeykonythingbutthenat’raltongueo’poetrytillsicabonniecraturasMissGalbraith;

an’foryersel’，Gibbie——man！，Iwadbeillwillin’tobiggastanewa’atweenmean’thebonniedayswhanAngusMacPholpwasthedeilwedidfear，an’Horniethedeilwedidna——Losh，man！whatwadcomeo’megienIhedtosaymyprayersinEnglish！，Idoobtgien’twadcomeootprayin’ata’！”

IamwellawarethatmostScotchpeopleofthatdatetriedtosaytheirprayersinEnglish，butnotsoJanetorRobert，andnotsohadtheytaughttheirchildren。Ifancynotalittleunrealitywasthusintheircaseavoided。

“Whatwillyoudowhenyouareaminister？”askedGibbieonhisfingers。

“Meaminnister？”echoedDonal。“Meaminnister！”herepeated。

“Losh，man！gienIcansavemyainsowl，it’llbea’’atI’mfitfor，ohnlo’dentitwi’ahaillcongregationo’itherfowk’s。Na，na;gienIcanbeaschuilmaister，an’helpthebairniestobeguid，asmymithertauchtmysel’，an’haetimetoread，an’afeowshillin’stobuybuiksabootAigyptan’theHolyLan’，an’afullan’completeeditiono’Plato，an’aGreekLexicon——aguidane，an’

aJamieson’sDictionar’，haith，I’llbeahawpyman！，An’gienI

dinnaliketheschuilmaisterin’，Icanjisttaktothewarkagain，whilkIcudnadeesaeweelgienIhadtriedthepreachin’：fowkwadca’meastickitminister！，Ormaybethey’llgiemethesheeptoluikefterupo’Glashgar，whanthey’reowermuckleformyfather，an’thatwadweelcontentme。OnlyIwadhaetobiggabitmairtothehoosie，tohaudmybuiks：Imaunhaebuiks。Iwadgetthenewspaperswhiles，butnoaften，forthey’reasairlosso’precioustime。Yeseetheytellyethingsaforethey’resure，an’yehaetospen’yertimethedayreadin’whatye’llhaetospen’yertimethemornreadin’ootagain;an’yemayasweelbidetillthething’ssattledawee。Iwadjistlatthemfechtthingsoot’atthouchttheysawhootheyouchttogang;an’Iwadgiethemguidmuttontohaudthemuptotheirdrearywark，an’maybeasangynooan’than’atwadhelpthemtodrapita’thegither。”

“Butwouldn’tyouliketohaveawife，Donal，andchildren，likeyourfatherandmother？”speltGibbie。

“Na，na;naewifeforme，Gibbie！”answeredthephilosopher。“Whawadhaeaitherapureschuilmaisterorashepherd？——’cep’itwasmaybesomelasslikemysisterNicie，’atwadnakenEuclidfraeherhose，orBurnsfraeamill-dam，orconicsectionsfraetheholei’

thegreatpeeramid。”

“Idon’tliketohearyoutalklikethat，Donal，“saidGibbie。“Whatdoyousaytomother？”

“Themither’snotobesaidaboot，“answerdDonal。“She’sanebyhersel’，noanelikeitherfowk。Yewadnathinkwauro’theangelGabriel’athehednajistreadHomercleanthrou’，wadye？”

“IfIdid，“answeredGibbie，“hewouldonlytellmetherewastimeenoughforthat。”

WhentheymetonaFridayevening，anditwasfine，theywouldrovethestreets，GibbietakingDonaltotheplacesheknewsowellinhischildhood，andenjoyingitthemorethathecouldnowtellhimsomuchbetterwhatheremembered。TheonlyplacehedidnottakehimtowasJinkLane，withthehousethathadbeenMistressCroale’s。HedidtakehimtothecourtintheWiddiehill，andshowhimtheAuldHooseo’Galbraith，andtheplaceunderthestairwherehisfatherhadworked。Theshedwasnowgone;theneighbourshadbydegreescarrieditawayforfirewood。Thehousewasoccupiedstillasthenbyanumberofpoorpeople，andthedoorwasneverlocked，dayornight，anymorethanwhenGibbieusedtobringhisfatherhome。HetookDonaltothegarretwheretheyhadslept——onecouldhardlysaylived，andwherehisfatherdied。Thedoorstoodopen，andtheplacewasjustastheyhadleftit。Ayearortwoafter，Gibbielearnedhowitcametobethusuntenanted：itwassaidtobehaunted。EverySundaySirGeorgewasheardatwork，makingbootsforhisweeGibbiefrommorningtonight;afterwhich，whenitwasdark，camedreadfulsoundsofsupplication，asofasoulprayinginhell-fire。Forawhilethehousewasalmostdesertedinconsequence。